Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Saturday called for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) to resign over his handling of the crisis in Flint, Mich., over lead in the water supply.
“There are no excuses,” the Democratic presidential candidate said in a statement. “The governor long ago knew about the lead in Flint’s water. He did nothing. As a result, hundreds of children were poisoned. Thousands may have been exposed to potential brain damage from lead. Gov. Snyder should resign.”
{mosads}Pressure has been building on Snyder over his handling of the situation. State officials have acknowledged that they did not respond quickly enough to complaints of lead contamination in the water supply, stemming from a decision almost two years ago to change the source of tap water.
“Because of the conduct by Gov. Snyder’s administration and his refusal to take responsibility, families will suffer from lead poisoning for the rest of their lives,” Sander said. “Children in Flint will be plagued with brain damage and other health problems. The people of Flint deserve more than an apology.”
Snyder on Friday asked President Obama to declare a federal disaster, and the National Guard is now assisting in distributing bottled water in the city.
The Michigan attorney general and the federal Justice Department are also investigating whether any laws were broken.